MartinCarpenter wrote:Thanks. Not quite Buxton but enough out that it'll be surprisingly nice

Looks very safely walkable from Blackrod or Horwick parkway too, so very commendable.

From Horwich Parkway (next to the football stadium) it is a bit of a trek over the M61 junction and then down the A6, certainly not scenic and not really designed for walkers as opposed to cars - and yes, it isn't in Bolton at all (just like the said stadium), which makes choices of restaurants more challenging

But yes, well done to Mike for all his hard work

Any postings on here represent my personal views and should not be taken as representative of the Manchester Chess Federation www.manchesterchess.co.uk

To be fair, you wouldn't actually want to eat anywhere in the town centre on a weekend, given the amount of youngsters staggering around drunk, so being out of town itself isn't the issue, its just how far out Blackrod is - I'll give it some thought before next season

In the coming months one of my tasks will be to draft negotiation scenarios for my classes next semester; I am sorely tempted to do an in depth interview with Mike about the various points and thus create a beautiful case study with lessons in long term interests over short term, flexibility, commercial awareness, and alternatives to negotiated agreement!

Ian Thompson wrote:
It would be good if the website stated what the parking charges are, if any, at all the hotels being used, both for those staying at the hotel and those not staying.

The Park Inn at Telford, for the 2015-16 season required hotel guests to record their car registrations on the hotel's computer system at reception, after which parking was free. I believe non-residents were treated as "conference delegates" and also allowed to record their car registrations for free parking, but I have no direct knowledge.

Ian Thompson wrote:
It would be good if the website stated what the parking charges are, if any, at all the hotels being used, both for those staying at the hotel and those not staying.

The Park Inn at Telford, for the 2015-16 season required hotel guests to record their car registrations on the hotel's computer system at reception, after which parking was free. I believe non-residents were treated as "conference delegates" and also allowed to record their car registrations for free parking, but I have no direct knowledge.

That's correct. Failure to type in your registration number at reception lead to car owners receiving a £100 fine, albeit one that could be successfully challenged. One parent received a ticket at both the J4NCL at West Brom and then a week later at the 4NCL in Telford

Wokefield Park boosts of parking for 350 cars, but doesn't say "free". It was last time the 4NCL was played there and in the context of a venue in the middle of open country, it's what you would expect.